Graham Farish Class A1 60156 'GREAT CENTRAL' BR Green Late Crest

[keitaro]

Ordered one of these beauties would be my first nscale non japanese purchase since 1994. shame all my old stuff rusted in the garage.

 

I have been waiting for this and a few other models for a long time. The loco is tender driven and comes with 2 traction tyre sets to add on to the rear of the tender for extra pull if it needs it.

 

It's all wheel pick up so if i need to add the traction tyres on hopefully it shouldn't reduce it's running quality.

 

I have read this model is amazing if you get a good one but have seen a few complaints of poor quality control. Hope mines one of the good ones i really do not want to send back to the uk for repair.

 

img here http://www.bachmann.co.uk/image_box.php?image=images1/farish/372-801.jpg&cat_no=372-801&info=0&width=650&height=184

[Bernard]

We don't get many Graham Farish models here in the US. I'd be interested in what you think of the quality of the manufacturer when you get it. It's a nice looking steam engine!

[Martijn Meerts]

Looks stunning.. I'm tempted ... Must... Resist .. ! 

[westfalen]

We don't get many Graham Farish models here in the US. I'd be interested in what you think of the quality of the manufacturer when you get it. It's a nice looking steam engine!

Graham Farish is Bachmann (my deltic is even stamped 'Bachmann China' underneath), so in a way you do. Dad has the recent 3MT 2-6-2 tank and it's an excellent loco, even has a six pin socket for a decoder.

[to2leo]

On a somewhat related note...

I am tempted to get Modellbahn Union's Steam locomotive Mallard Class A, N-gauge.  Apparently they are partnering this project with Dapol.

 

Does anyone know more info on this beautiful model?

 

Better yet, does anyone know whether Dapol produce good reliable model locomotive?  Or is it a Hit and Miss?

 

Picture from Modellbahn Kramm

[keitaro]

On a somewhat related note...

I am tempted to get Modellbahn Union's Steam locomotive Mallard Class A, N-gauge.  Apparently they are partnering this project with Dapol.

 

Does anyone know more info on this beautiful model?

 

Better yet, does anyone know whether Dapol produce good reliable model locomotive?  Or is it a Hit and Miss?

 

Picture from Modellbahn Kramm

 

I'd be interested in that, only 150 available wonder how well it will sell.

 

couldn't find info on realease date or anything though

[Nick_Burman]

I want a GWR Pannier Tank or 14xx + Autocoach. However the Dapol models are out of production.

 

 

Cheers NB

[Bernard]

On a somewhat related note...

I am tempted to get Modellbahn Union's Steam locomotive Mallard Class A, N-gauge.  Apparently they are partnering this project with Dapol.

 

Does anyone know more info on this beautiful model?

 

Better yet, does anyone know whether Dapol produce good reliable model locomotive?  Or is it a Hit and Miss?

 

Picture from Modellbahn Kramm

 

Does this remind me of the Minitrix Sir Nigel Gresley!

[keitaro]

I'm going to buy coaches but I am not sure whats a regular consist for this model. I was thinking just getting the 4 car in geeen but does anyone know why you can't get the ck in green is this the way it was or just graham farish does not have that out yet?

 

from what i can tell it was pretty random at times, unlike our fellow japanese friends who had pretty specific form in these times and still do now more so than ever.

 

http://www.cometmodels.co.uk/data/PDF/BR(S) coach allocations.PDF

[westfalen]

I'm going to buy coaches but I am not sure whats a regular consist for this model. I was thinking just getting the 4 car in geeen but does anyone know why you can't get the ck in green is this the way it was or just graham farish does not have that out yet?

 

from what i can tell it was pretty random at times, unlike our fellow japanese friends who had pretty specific form in these times and still do now more so than ever.

 

http://www.cometmodels.co.uk/data/PDF/BR(S) coach allocations.PDF

I would go more with BR maroon MK1's for a wider area and era of operation, I think the green coaches would have stayed mainly on the Southern Region while the A1's would have run on the former LNER. In the steam era British Railways was still divided and run much like the pre-nationalisation private railways. Of course coaches from earlier eras were still in use and in the last years of steam some coaches began to be painted in the new BR corporate blue and grey. Having said that there's nothing wrong with going with what you think looks good.

[keitaro]

I'm going to buy coaches but I am not sure whats a regular consist for this model. I was thinking just getting the 4 car in geeen but does anyone know why you can't get the ck in green is this the way it was or just graham farish does not have that out yet?

 

from what i can tell it was pretty random at times, unlike our fellow japanese friends who had pretty specific form in these times and still do now more so than ever.

 

http://www.cometmodels.co.uk/data/PDF/BR(S) coach allocations.PDF

I would go more with BR maroon MK1's for a wider area and era of operation, I think the green coaches would have stayed mainly on the Southern Region while the A1's would have run on the former LNER. In the steam era British Railways was still divided and run much like the pre-nationalisation private railways. Of course coaches from earlier eras were still in use and in the last years of steam some coaches began to be painted in the new BR corporate blue and grey. Having said that there's nothing wrong with going with what you think looks good.

 

thanks west. yeah i would like a few sets of each and some mkII's as well as i have a few other locos i want.

 

like you said it is my pref on colour but i probably will get the maroon ones later.

 

any idea on a site that has info about the different services of this and other just pre british era? the wiki is not as good for british as it is for many japanese proto's and alot of sites mainly focus on the loco more than the coaches.

 

I have been thinking BR Standard 5MT 73014 BR Lined Green Late Crest BR1 Tender, Class 5 5020 LMS Lined Black and maybe a scotsman.

 

these are all long term purchases though as i want them more for display than running on the layout. but will run them for fun sometimes.

[keitaro]

ok so i got it today.

 

As i had read the model locks up. the motor is in the tender many users reported jamming in the front of the train. i opened and rolled the wheels but they jam.

 

I first though ahh crap i'm going to need to send back. but then i looked and realised the pistons are out of alignment like in my realline.

 

After investigation they are easy to move left or right as per img 1. I alligned them and they now spin freely so i'm hoping it will run great when i get home.

 

I have found this to be a cause of the packaging not a manufacturing defect and that it is also more strange design feature.

 

The packaging if pressed will move them out of alignment by a few mm's.  I will report this on the other forum bitching about it as heaps of people are sending this back due to this reason.

 

 

 

VIDEO TONIGHT

[Martijn Meerts]

Very nice looking model

[The_Ghan]

I'm kind of relieved that Graham Farish doesn't have many LMS Crimson models ... they were my favourite when I was in OO scale years ago.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

update

 

so i got home and it did have the jamming issue still will run for a bit then the front jams and the tender cannot push it.

 

This is like my experience with MA loco's. I find the nuts that fit each side of the wheel are loose and cause rubbing and jamming.

 

This loco however had several issues.

 

1. Then nuts were loose on the right side on 2 wheels and they would rub on the wheel.

2. a pin that runs through the wheels was hanging out a bit more on one side and causing a jam easy adjustment.

3. The arms are held in by a small screw. i think loosening it a half turn/quater turn may work but i am running 30 mins each way at the moment to see it it will improove first.

 

I also gave a very slight lube to the joints.

 

mini review.

 

pro's

-Great detail

-Comes with 1 traction wheel attached in the tender and a spare of non traction and traction. On a flat oval you can take off the traction set and have complete all wheel and it will pull 5 series 24 fuji cars fine maybe more but i didn't try.

 

Up hill it pulled 1 car fine but a second and it slipped. With 1 set of traction it handles 5 with a bit of slippage. I have 2 on now as i have a roughly 4% grade which is large.

 

With the 2 traction wheels it pulled 8 up the hill with some slowing again though i have a really steep incline.

-Comes with a spare electro coupler for tender to loco connection. Also a spare front 4 wheels.

-Some custom detailed parts like logo and pipes

-Easy to install 6 pin nem decoder (remove 2 screws lift the shell and plug into the holes)

 

Cons-

-While it is a great model it should not require me to fiddle and adjust bits to make it run ok. Better quality control required.

-Only has rapido couplers. I'm not sure if it will even be easy to modify and add a knuckle coupler to it.

-Not as good as my fav c38 3801 but hey no one models that so I have to put up with this 

 

Other-

Interestingly enough they recomend running 30 mins each way at a moderate speed (not shinkansen )

This is a largely discussed topic and I must say that in the 20 minutes it took to write this to where I am right now the model does infact seem to be running better.

 

It comes with a guide for a slightly different model....... however the instructions are the same for this so it's all good i guess their way of cost cutting???

 

 

Videos to come later I want to post it with a fair video after giving it the chance to run in. Though I have no expectation it will run as good as my realline model which is by far my best runner even over the c62's i got recently from Kato.

[keitaro]

 

[westfalen]

Dapol's new NEM mount knuckle coupler should fit if it has NEM coupler mounts. http://www.dapol.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=728&Itemid=65

 

Some of Bachmann's US steam locos have had QC and design problems that have been fixed in later runs, with Bachmann it's often best to be patient and let others buy the first batch and find out what's wrong.

[keitaro]

yeah this isn't first run though this model has been out about 6 months i think??? I'll have to check though.

But yeah as you can see in video it does run all right now.

 

Though it doesn't like the tomix double crossover It jams some times but it's not a pick up issue like the MA loco's have I guess it needs a slightly larger curve :laugh:

 

Anyone thinking of getting this model should make sure they place the traction on the front and rear wheels of the tender as placing in the middle is useless. This is mainly due to the grip needing to be for the front and rear of the pushing wheels to make sure it grips the track best, Of course this is not needed for flat track.

 

I'll have a look at the dapol couplers from memory it was a small rectangle holding place with a small pin holding it in.

[keitaro]

got this back today. well a replacement.

 

I have to say it runs really smooth now.

 

Still not so great pulling power. With 1 traction wheel on the rear of the tender (default install) it pulls 3 up my incline with slippage.

 

I'm too scared to change over to 2 rear traction tyres because it's running so great i don't want to ruin it just yet.

 

My respect for farish has increased 1 notch.

 

However i still feel that my dapol thus far have been better.